Each year Christchurch City Council puts money aside in its Strengthening Communities Fund so that it can provide financial support to the many groups and organisations who are working to build community wellbeing. Each Community Board is allocated a portion of the funding to distribute locally.

Click here for more information about the Strengthening Communities Fund.

Applications for Council’s Strengthening Communities Fund close at noon on Friday 29 May 2026, though it encouraged to apply early. Decisions are expected to be made to allocate this year’s funding at the Board’s August meeting.

Click here to apply to the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Strengthening Communities Fund 2026/27.

Click here to view, and apply for, other funding rounds and community boards open for applications.

Organisations will be able to apply to for Strengthening Communities Fund for locally based projects and will now apply to the one Community Board area that most of their participants come from.

What this fund covers:

• Applications can be for both operating and/or project costs:
  • Operating costs may include salaries, power, rent and administration costs.
  • Project costs may include the costs of community programmes, events, activities and equipment.
• Operational or project costs, incurred in the provision and delivery of the agreed initiative, for the 12-month period starting 1 September and ending 31 August.
• Small equipment purchases that will enable your organisation to take advantage of efficiency gains. Please note that all equipment or capital purchases must be noted in a schedule of equipment/capital purchases for accountability purposes.
• Costs that support the recognition, contribution and retention of volunteers.
• Community Boards may access this fund to deliver activities and events to their local communities. This may include the establishment of a Youth Development Fund.